“The eldest miss of the Bai family in Tianmu City feels ashamed for awakening a life occupation and leaves the Bai family?!”
Zhang Kun read aloud the news headline on his plaster-cast-covered phone screen.
Below it was a photo, Bai Nian’s student ID picture from her school days.
In an instant, the three of them all turned their puzzled gazes toward Bai Nian.
“Uh, I left, so I’m no longer a member of the Bai family…” she explained.
“Looks like our Miss Bai has quite the story,” Li Qing joked with a playful face.
“But it probably isn’t like how the news reports it, right?”
Clearly, those who had spent time with Bai Nian didn’t believe what was being reported.
At the very least, for someone who had just graduated to already possess two divine marks, that alone was enough to prove she wasn’t useless.
On the contrary, you could even say she was a genius.
Of course, Shi Gao also sensed this.
Just Bai Nian’s ability to spot danger before anyone else—if you claimed it was some kind of Sixth Sense, he wouldn’t believe it.
Only a professional skill could achieve something like that.
On the way back, Bai Nian shared a bit about her situation with the three of them.
Since they were to be long-term teammates, she felt there was no need to hide it; besides, now that this news was out, probably everyone would know her.
Other Hunter teams might not want to take her in.
“So that’s the Celestial Clan?”
After listening to Bai Nian, Zhang Kun was the first to sneer.
“I thought they were something amazing, but they can abandon even their own daughter. Tch, they’re garbage!”
“It doesn’t matter. Bai Nian never had any attachment to that family anyway, leaving is for the best,” Shi Gao comforted her.
“Exactly. I think the Hunter Guild isn’t bad. At least we can make a living here, no problem. Stick with us from now on,” Li Qian patted Bai Nian on the shoulder.
“Thank you, everyone.”
A faint look of relief flashed across her face.
Ironically, these people she’d known for less than two days cared more about her than her enormous family had in eighteen years.
“Sigh, if only I had a life occupation. No fighting or killing, and I could still make money,” Shi Gao sighed.
Zhang Kun, who was driving, gave him a punch.
“What are you talking about? That’s just being a wage slave for life! This is what living is all about!”
The jeep headed north and soon entered Tianmu City’s jurisdiction.
The four arrived at the Hunter Guild together.
Bai Nian went to register and collect her bounty.
Her status changed from Temporary Hunter to Formal Hunter.
Their relationship as temporary teammates also became formal teammates.
“Alright, now you’re officially a Hunter,” Zhang Kun said with a smile.
“Go get your Hunter rank registered.”
“How are Hunter ranks divided?”
Bai Nian asked curiously.
“It’s the same as Gate levels, but Hunters are divided into positive and negative ranks.
Clearing a Gate gets you a negative rank, removing a Gate gets you a positive rank,” Li Qian explained. “Like us three, we’re all Negative Rank Two Hunters.”
“I see.”
Bai Nian nodded in understanding.
The four of them quickly went to another room in the hall, designated for recording Hunters’ information.
Bai Nian showed the staff the divine marks on the back of her hand.
“Two divine marks. That means you can already enter a Level Three Gate,” the staff member said while recording and chatting with Bai Nian.
“One of them is a Level One, area-grade mark,” she explained.
In fact, both her divine marks were Level One marks.
The staff shook their head with a smile.
“It’s all the same: Level One, Level Eight, the divine marks you get make no difference.”
Bai Nian was taken aback, then quickly understood.
If the divine marks from high and low-level Gates were the same, those top Hunters could just keep running Level One Gates to grow stronger, but they didn’t.
“So there’s a limit on the divine marks you can get from removing Gates?”
“Smart.”
The staff looked up and praised her.
“The Gate’s level determines how many divine marks you can obtain—except for area-grade and Alliance-level Calamity Gates.”
So that’s how it is.
The reason Bai Nian could get two divine marks from Level One Gates was that one was an area-grade Gate; normally, a Level One Gate only yields one divine mark.
“Alright, your Hunter rank is Positive Rank Two.”
The staff handed her a badge representing the Hunter Guild’s rank.
“Thank you.”
Bai Nian accepted the badge and left the room.
“How does it feel to start off as a Positive Rank One Hunter?”
Zhang Kun grinned as he waited outside.
“I remember I was stuck as a Negative Rank One Hunter for two and a half years.”
“That’s because you could never remove a Level One Gate,” Li Qian mercilessly exposed him.
“Like you’re any better with your one divine mark!”
Zhang Kun glared at her.
“I’m not going to argue with a woman.”
“Um… I’m actually Positive Rank Two now,” Bai Nian said meekly.
“Huh?”
The three turned to look at her in perfect unison.
They knew Bai Nian had two divine marks; they just didn’t understand why the Guild rated her as Rank Two.
“Good, we were just planning to challenge a Level Three Gate soon. Bai Nian can join us now.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. Better think about how you’re going to get another divine mark soon, or you’ll miss your chance.”
“Stop nagging.”
As Zhang Kun and Li Qian bickered, the four of them left the Hunter hall together.
Of the three, only Zhang Kun had yet to get a Level One divine mark; the other two had already obtained theirs.
He kept failing every time.
Without a divine mark, the only way to get stronger was to use Calamity Cores to enhance his weapons.
But once you entered a Level Three Gate, you could no longer enter Level One Gates.
That’s why Li Qian said Zhang Kun was running out of chances.
The four parted ways at the hall entrance and headed home.
“Looks like the only way to avoid missing out on any divine marks is to proceed steadily and carefully,” Bai Nian sighed.
She took out her phone and checked her balance.
In just two days, she’d earned nearly a hundred thousand—it was the money she had planned to return to the Bai family.
Since she’d left, there was no reason for her to let them have the money spent on raising her for eighteen years for nothing.
Bai Nian was someone who kept track of debts and never let herself owe anyone anything.
But now, she’d changed her mind.
That Killer Organization was probably hired by the Bai family, and they’d already tried to kill her.
Why should she return the money now?
That would be stupid, wouldn’t it?
Isn’t it better to spend it on herself?
“They probably won’t dare act in the city, but to be safe, I can’t rent this place anymore,” Bai Nian mused, heading to the restaurant downstairs.
She hadn’t eaten all day and ordered a bowl of beef noodles, wolfing them down.
Back at her rental, Bai Nian took a cold shower, changed out of her clothes, and went straight to sleep.